Roy Weard - A Musical History
Index and introduction.
.I have re-written this history and broken it into seperate pages. You can access these through the 'Musical History' menu above, or by following the links from the short descriptions below. The pages have links that allow you to follow the story through or you can use the menu or the links below to jump to any of the pages.
The pictures are now viewable as slideshows on each band's page. Click on any of the pictures on the band pages to start the slide show and move the cursor to the top left to go back or top right to go forward.
This text was started just to give a short biography as a single page on another website and, as such, is a bit 'me-centric'. I realised this when I was compiling the new website and I have asked the other members to provide material for their own pages. I will put these up as and when I get them. For now it is just from my point of view.
So lets start at the beginning - as good a place to set off from I suppose - Roy
My early forays into the music scene were in the mid sixties. You can read about the story from folk music to Stranger than Yesterday here
GROPE
After various incarnations of Stranger than Yesterday we arrive at a whole new band called 'Grope'. Al Haines, singer from that band, was in touch with me recently and is now living in Folkestone. As a result of this we now have a whole new Grope page which which is here.
Born Free - WOODEN LION
When 'Grope' split Johnny Lyons and I decided to start a new band and, after looking at various names decided on Wooden Lion - mostly because, while we were dithering about what to call it, people kept saying, 'Have you heard Wood and Lyons new band yet?'. The precursor to That Legendary Wooden Lion was born.
A full story and pictures can be found here.
DOGWATCHing
Dogwatch had been playing around the East End of London for a year or so and I had been to see many of their gigs. Their singer, Paul Balance, left to form a new band (the Warm Jets with two ex Cockney Rebel members).
I took his place and, the Dogwatch Chapter begins here
Dogwatch released a live album ('Penfriend' recorded at the Bridge House) and a single ('Cutouts'). These are no longer available but a CD version of 'Penfriend' is now on sale from Bridge House Records which also features, the single and other bonus tracks . (see Discography.)
ROY WEARD & THE LAST POST
At the end of Dogwatch I was on a limb not really knowing what direction to go in. Then along came an offer from The Last Post. The story of that band can be found here.
We started off by recording an album, called 'Fallout' at the famous Elephant Studios in Metropolitan Wharf, Wapping. (this album also now available from Bridge House Records see Discography)
SOUND ENGINEERING
After the Last Post folded, I went off on tour with various bands as a sound engineer / production manager or tour manager you can read about that here.
WEARD and JUAN D'ERFUL
Tony and I were working on a lot of different songs after the end of Last Post. You can read all about that in The Weard and Juan D'Erful Songbook.
I moved to Hamburg in 1991 and lost contact with all of them.
THAT LEGENDARY WOODEN LION roars tonight.
This brings us up to date with the story, well into this century at least. The creation of That Legendary Wooden Lion is documented here
Mission statement from Roy Weard:
So we have reached the present day. When I started to put this up it was just going to be one page with a few details of old bands and some photos. I did not know that that 'one page' would lead to a new band, a whole load of gigs and a new CD. I have been writing much more than I can possibly perform, the songs back up here, but it has all kindled a new fire in me for performing and creating. I am not sure what form the next stage will be in, but it will be documented here - Roy.
Thirty odd years on from the Watchfield Free Festival was a good place to start again
Watch this space! .
Where are they now?
People from the past still pop up sometimes, having found me through this website. It is always good to hear from them.
John Trelawney, lives up the coast a little in Seaford and still plays.
Nick Sack, the first Dogwatch drummer, was down here in Brighton with an exhibition of his photographs.
Roger Glynn and Linda Kelsey both found me through the website and have been in touch too.
Dave Ryder, One of the Last Post Crew, works as an I.T. consultant.
Peter Victor, Last Post sound engineer, is News Editor on the Independant on Sunday